Prophecy

Prophecy (Hebrew nĕbûʾāh; Greek prophēteia) is the communication of God's word through a chosen human spokesman, the prophet (Hebrew nābîʾ; also called a “seer”). It embraces two related functions: forth-telling—declaring God's will to a present situation, summoning his people to covenant faithfulness—and fore-telling, announcing what God will bring to pass. What sets biblical prophecy apart from pagan divination is its source: not human technique, omens, or spirits, but the Spirit of God, for “no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21). The law accordingly forbade the occult and gave Israel a test for a true prophet: his word must accord with revealed truth and come to pass (Deuteronomy 18:9–22).

Moses is the prototype, and through him God promised, “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers” (Deuteronomy 18:18). Thereafter the prophets served as the covenant's conscience: from Samuel through Elijah and Elisha to the writing prophets, “the word of the LORD came” to confront idolatry, defend justice for the poor, and call the nation back to God (Amos 5:24; Jeremiah 7:25). Their oracles also stretched forward to a day of judgment and restoration, a new covenant (Jeremiah 31:31–34), and the outpouring of the Spirit on all flesh (Joel 2:28–29).

Above all, predictive prophecy converges on the Messiah. The prophets foretold his birth of a virgin and his name Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14), his birthplace in Bethlehem Ephrathah (Micah 5:2), his humble entry to Jerusalem on a donkey (Zechariah 9:9), his betrayal for thirty pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12–13), his suffering as the servant who bore our griefs (Isaiah 53:4–6), his pierced body (Zechariah 12:10; Psalm 22:16), and his resurrection—“you will not abandon my soul to Sheol” (Psalm 16:10). The risen Christ himself showed how “everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms” must be fulfilled (Luke 24:44), and the apostles testified that “to him all the prophets bear witness” (Acts 10:43).

With the coming of Christ prophecy reaches both its goal and a new outpouring. Jesus is the promised prophet greater than Moses (Acts 3:22–23); at Pentecost Joel's promise begins to be fulfilled (Acts 2:17); and prophecy appears as a gift given to build up the church “for upbuilding and encouragement and consolation” (1 Corinthians 14:3; cf. Ephesians 4:11)—always to be weighed against the apostolic word. Prophecy thus displays God's sovereignty over history, who alone declares “the end from the beginning” (Isaiah 46:9–10); it authenticates Scripture as “a lamp shining in a dark place” (2 Peter 1:19); and it is finally Christ-centered, for “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Revelation 19:10).